The present invention relates generally to the field of casting material, and more particularly to the design of a casting apparatus for forming a rigid structure for application in skeletal and joint fixation.
In clinical practice, there are many conditions and circumstances, such as fractures and dislocations of bones and joints, injuries of muscles, tendons, fasciae and ligaments, correction of congenital and acquired deformities, etc., in which the involved skeletal and joint have to be fixed for treatment. Plaster of paris has been used as casting material for skeletal and joint fixation for more than one hundred years and is still the standard casting material in many countries. But it is not without drawbacks, such as heavy weight, water intolerance, etc. In recent years, synthetic resin (polyurethane resin, etc.) has been used widely and has become part of the established orthopedic practice in most developed countries. Although resin impregnated splinting bandages have many advantages over traditional based materials, they still have some drawbacks. Typically, synthetic splints are created from a resin impregnated fabric contained within a moisture impervious sleeve prior to use. In use, the resin impregnated fabric is wetted and then applied to the body part requiring a splint. A synthetic splint thus requires an activator, may irritate the skin and cause an allergic reaction. Both the plaster of paris and the synthetic resin casts require a substantial period of time for the cast to set and hardened, and require multiple step to prepare and are difficult and messy to apply. In addition, these casts are removed by cutting them off the patient and discarded and thereby adding to the pollution of the environment.
The plaster of paris and synthetic casting methods both have advantages and disadvantages. The casting material of the present invention eliminates the disadvantages of plaster of paris and synthetic resin casting material and methods but reserves all of the advantages of both. Moreover, the casting material of the present invention may be used repeatedly many times, hence there is no waste and trash to pollute the environment and energy and water are conserved by eliminating the multi step preparation process required by the plaster of paris and synthetic casting methods.